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Cine Las Americas 2018 Review: LA SUERTE DEL SALAO (UNLUCKY’S LUCKY)

Posted by Mark Saldana on May 17th, 2018

By Mark Saldana

Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)

This Colombian entry in the Narrative Shorts Competition is an often hilarious and joyful film about an always down on his luck man, whose luck miraculously changes for the better just for one night. Pelito, the protagonist, is currently unemployed, in debt and about to lose his home and wife. On one fateful day, he wins the town raffle and celebrates through the night with his neighbors. He discovers that his luck is fleeting and such is the nature of life.

I really enjoyed this entertaining and poignant short film. Director Felipe Holguin Caro and his producer/wife María Gaviria attended the festival to introduce and promote the film. During a Q & A session, Holguin Caro mentioned that the film was shot in a real Caribbean small town in Colombia with the actual townspeople as his cast. Though it is obvious in some moments that cast members aren’t professional actors, the director managed to get some striking and solid work from his cast and this choice gives his film a more genuine feel. I was impressed with Felipe Holguin Caro’s talents behind the camera and hope to see more work from him in the future.